SC penguin population healthy
La Nina is being blamed for the death of thousands of little blue penguins (LBP) in North Island colonies, but the weather patten has not had an impact on the Timaru or Oamaru LBP populations.
Department of Conservation principal science advisor Graeme Taylor said there had been large number of LBPs washing up dead on North Island beachers over summer and autumn 2018.
‘‘There is no estimate of the total numbers washed ashore but the rates that birds have been found on beaches suggest it is in the order of low thousands of birds.’’
‘‘The primary factor driving this mortality event has been the La Nina weather conditions which lead to increased winds from the east and north direction in northern New Zealand over the summer.
An increase in the number of storms arriving in New Zealand from the tropics with strong winds and rough seas was also a factor, he said.
Further south, however, La Nina conditions did not usually cause issues for seabirds, and the cold subantarctic current moving northwards along the east coast of the South Island provides good foraging conditions for LBPs, he said.
‘‘The current penguin event up north should not impact on the Oamaru penguin colony.’’
Timaru Penguins co-ordinator Peter Bennett said the group had not seen anything to indicate there was an issue among the population there.
Four summers ago there were three nests down at Marine Parade on Caroline Bay, while this year he believed there were at least 10 nests, he said.
He believed the number of nests made by breeding pairs was relative to the amount of fish stock available.
‘‘If they’re going got pick a location and call it home, they have to know they’ve got enough feed out there to be able to mate.’’
Moulting season ran from midFebruary until the end of March, and the birds were now infrequently spending nights in Timaru. ‘‘They’ll be back next spring hopefully.’’
Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony research scientist Dr Philippa Agnew believed if La Nina was going to have an impact on local LBPs it would have happened by now.
‘‘If we’d had issues they way they have up there, we would be seeing it by now,’’ she said.
Instead, the LBP population in Oamaru had been steadily rising over the previous few years - there were 189 breeding pairs this year compared to the 145 breeding pairs recorded last year; ‘‘so that’s quite a big jump’’.
LBP populations had been monitored in Oamaru for about 25 years, and in that time it had been noted that the main driver behind declining populations was winter storms.
‘‘Otherwise generally the trend is increasing every year by around 9 per cent.
‘‘They’re doing really well.’’
LBPs held an ecological status of Not Threatened, as the birds were widespread along coastal New Zealand and Australia, and Agnew did not believe the deaths caused by La Nina would change that.
‘‘It will definitely have population impacts on those specific areas in the North Island.’’